Recycling in Brown County could have a new look in the not-so-distant future. Putting your paper and plastic on the curb together would be easier and more cost-effective.

In Ashwaubenon, trucks creep past driveway after driveway, snatching up each blue bin it sees. That sight is exactly what Brown County Solid Waste Director Chuck Larscheid hopes will be a common sight not just in the Village of Ashwaubenon but throughout the county.

"We're hearing from customers that they think the collection side there's a big savings to be made," Larscheid said.

Currently, most people living in Brown County put out their recyclables in separate bags for pick up - one for plastic, one for paper.

But a plan being developed for the county would consolidate plastic and paper into one container. They would be taken together to a new facility that can process both.

If Brown County's plan goes into effect, you'd have one can for recyclables and another for garbage. Larscheid says that means there would no longer be a need for communities to employ two trucks to pick up the paper and plastic separately.

"The big savings we estimate for single-stream recycling is on the collection end, so the communities would see that," Larscheid said.

He said the revenue generated by the current recycling facility would cover the costs of the new structure. The only cost to residents would be the purchase of a bin to put their recyclables in.

Larscheid said the plan could be approved by the end of the year.

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